Sheila McKechnie Foundation

Who we are

We believe change is possible 

The Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) exists to help people turn the belief that change is possible into action.

SMK supports grassroots campaigners, the campaigning workforce and campaign leaders across the UK to build the confidence, skills and connections needed to create lasting social and environmental change.

Guided by courage, generosity and hope, we help build a connected, resilient community shaping a more just and hopeful future.

We support, connect and champion these campaigners, equipping them to go after the social change they seek.

And we see the difference it makes. The people we’re lucky enough to come into contact with  through our training, our awards, our research and our networks, do extraordinary things. They dream of a different world, and then they create it.

We believe campaigners are vital to a healthy society. People need to know they have the power to imagine change and make it happen, and campaigning proves that change is possible.

Our culture and values

Our values are underpinned by behaviours that help put our mission and vision into practice throughout our organisation’s operations and services.

Courage 

We choose courage as a value, because we are witnesses to the scale of injustice and refuse to be daunted by it. We are not afraid to flex and learn.

Values based behaviours 

• We speak out for the right to campaign and advocate for the common good, even when its uncomfortable or unpopular to do so.
• We choose to be hopeful and generous in tough times.
• We are willing to listen and give feedback even when it's difficult.
• We can admit our mistakes, change our minds or stand our ground.

Generosity 

We choose generosity as a value because healthy communities require interdependence, diversity and partnership. We cannot thrive without one another.

Values based behaviours

• When someone asks for help, we say yes, if we have the resources to follow through.
• We give people the benefit of the doubt, most people are just doing their best.
• We don't just ask what's in it for us, we look for wider benefits for our community and the common good.
• We value generosity in all its forms, it's not all about the money.

Hope

We chose hope as a value because it is the renewable energy of the campaign’s community. Hope always believes that change is possible.

Values based behaviours

• We share and amplify stories of resilience and success.
• We choose not to mirror the language of fear and hate in our training and communications.
• We think and act for the long-term.
• We find time to dream and imagine different ways of social transformation.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

SMK is here for people trying to make lasting social change.  

We work with and celebrate change-makers from across civil society, from those campaigning from their front rooms to those in the offices of global organisations.

We connect the campaign community to grow solidarity, share ideas, and find common cause. 

About our Solidarity and EDI Strategy

Achieving our commitments to Solidarity and EDI are urgent and central to SMK’s vision and mission.

Systems of power and inequity are complex – structural, cultural, personal and intersectional – so our strategy is wide-ranging.

It includes a commitment to growing our own awareness and skills, and shaping our organisation’s culture, practice and governance. And it encompasses the work we do to support those who are working to change these systems in society. It includes our approach to developing partnerships, reaching communities, and our own campaigning and advocacy.

Find out more here: https://smk.org.uk/about-us/our-commitment-to-solidarity-equality-diversity-and-inclusion